With the summer sale now in full swing, we decided to take a lighter approach to the update this week. Minor tweaks and improvements over last week’s patch should address some of the feedback we heard. Moving forward, we are adjusting our patch cycle to be bi-weekly. This allows us to start tackling some larger features and helps with our testing schedule. As many of you know and for those of you that don’t, each update to NS2 comes with not just hours of development time but lots of bug and gameplay testing. Our playtesters are community volunteers and give many hours each week so that you can enjoy the fruits of our labors. Our EU Playtest Lead Asraniel has been around since the beginning of time and given so many hours that I couldn’t even begin to list all the many influences and tasks he has helped address. Asraniel is taking a step back to focus on his next step in the world and we wish him nothing but the best in his endeavors. He has left his mark on not just this game but our community as a whole, thank you and good luck! Update Notes Tweaks / Improvements

• Exo miniguns will not overheat each other
• Feedback UI – “Out of sight, out of mind”
  • Every time you close the feedback UI will increase the time it won’t show up afterwards
  • Every time you give feedback will increase the time the feedback UI shows up
  • You can also close the feedback UI using the Escape button
  • Feedback UI doesn’t show up at listen servers anymore
  • Added a close button to the feedback UI (as requested)
• Sandbox Mode – “Back to the roots”
  • Restored the tooltip functionality of the sandbox mode (no idea how that broke)
    • Explore the map and all game elements with descriptions
  • Made sure all weapons, upgrades, classes and abilities get unlocked in the sandbox mode
  • Limited to Docking at the moment
• Many game strings still need to be updated (Weldable Doors are still not planned)
• Running an experiment to see if changing the default setting for health bars, damage numbers, and hit sounds makes a measurable difference to new player behaviors (this will have no impact to current players)
• Removed British alternate tutorial VO

Fixes

• Fixed that the feedback UI blocked various button presses
• Fixed a script error caused by the arcade achievement
• Fixed issue where forward movement was dependent on view angles.
• Fixed right click preventing sprinting
• Fixed arcade achievement not being given on ns2large servers
• Fixed phase gates not setting angles correctly for people who use inverted mouse (boo, hiss)
• Fixed guns floating in midair when dropped.
• Fixed guns held by marines sometimes not following the marine.
• Fixed exploit allowing instant switch to rifle once per life
• Fixed that the boot camp stayed invisible after closing the popup with escape

[ 2016-07-01 13:07:22 CET ] [ Original post ]

Natural Selection 2 pits alien against human in an action-packed struggle for survival. Wield devastating weaponry as a Frontiesman marine, or become the xenomorph as a deadly. Kharaa life-form.

Strategy Meets Shooter

Natural Selection 2 is a First Person Shooter and Real Time Stategy game rolled into one! Each team, alien and human, has a Commander. The Commander looks down on the battlefield and issues orders, places structures, collects resources, researches technology, and deploys abilities.



Here are some gameplay examples: A human Commander could drop health packs and ammunition to a trapped marine squad, and deploy sentry guns to help them defend their position. Or an alien Commander could grow a new Hive to spread infestation throughout newly captured territory, allowing more alien eggs to spawn...

Two Unique Sides

Aliens players choose to evolve into one of five lifeforms: The fast, fearsome Skulk can run on walls and deliver massive damage with is jaws. Lerks fly and deploy gasses to support their teammates in battle. Gorges heal other lifeforms and build tunnels, hydra turrets, walls, and other tactical structures. Fades blink in and out of battle, picking off marines with giant scythes. Finally, the giant Onos is so massive and so tough, that even entire marine squads can't take it down.



Marines wield rifles, shotguns, grenade launchers, pistols, and other weapons. Cluster grenades can clear ventilation shafts of sneaky Skulks, flamethrowers make short work of alien structures and infestation, and boosts dropped by the Commander increase combat effectiveness.

When attacking on foot doesn't cut it, marines can construct hulking Exosuits wielding miniguns and railguns, and equip jetpacks for high speed assaults on alien Hives.

Long Term Development

Natural Selection 2 receives constant updates. This year, 2016, Unknown Worlds continues to develop new features, content, and improvements.

Mod Tools Come Standard

Natural Selection 2 comes with all the tools we used to make the game. All game code is open source. That means you can create, and play, an endless variety of mods. Publish, share, and download mods from the Steam Workshop, and automatically download mods when you join modded games.

Digital Deluxe Edition

Digital Deluxe Edition includes:

• Official Soundtrack - 1 hour of tribal, industrial music composed by David John and Simon Chylinski
  
• Digital Art Book - 40+ pages of art by Cory Strader, including environments, creatures, weapons and more
  
• Exclusive in-game marine model - Exclusive in-game marine model - A new marine model with custom visor and armor plating
  
• Exclusive Wallpapers and Avatars - Unique views of the NS2 universe by Amanda Diaz